Aid ship nears Gaza as Israeli navy makes first contact

Aid ship nears Gaza as Israeli navy makes first contact - orders ship to Egyptian port

update: 17:28 GMT +1: Captain refuses to change course for El-Arish in the face of Israel's illegitimate demands. more

CAIRO — An Israeli military vessel confronted a Libyan aid ship Tuesday trying to breach Israel's three-year-old Gaza blockade and ordered it to divert to an Egyptian port, the Israeli military and organizers said.
The Gadhafi International Charity and Development Foundation said the Moldovan-flagged Amalthea, which left Greece on Saturday carrying 2,000 tons of food and medical supplies, refused to alter its course for el-Arish in Egypt and insisted it will steam on for Gaza. more

Haaretz reports that the Israeli navy has made contact with the aid ship Hope on its way to deliver aid to the people of Gaza. The captain has reportedly refused to be diverted to the Egyptian port of El-Arish.

...The ship, which left Greece on Saturday afternoon, was commissioned by the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, headed by Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, second son of Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.

"The Ship's Captain was asked by the gunboat crew to go to El-Arish port instead, stressing that the vessel will not be allowed to go into Gaza at all," the foundation said in a statement on its website.

"The captain and the head of the foundation's team on board affirmed that the Ship's sole destination is Gaza, asserting that it is carrying humanitarian aid and has no other purpose whatsoever, while the gunboat is still present near the ship," it added. more

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